NewsWPA's Renick Is Optimistic About New Season & Establishing A Permanent Home

Feb 28, 2000

Just after announcing his first show of the season at WPA, artistic director Kyle Renick told Playbill On-Line (Feb. 24) about his temporary space and his plans to re-establish the WPA in a permanent theatre.

Just after announcing his first show of the season at WPA, artistic director Kyle Renick told Playbill On-Line (Feb. 24) about his temporary space and his plans to re-establish the WPA in a permanent theatre.

"We are renting the Signature Theatre -- their Peter Norton space," Renick said. "It's that wonderful big space all the way west on 42nd Street. We'll be there from the end of March through the middle of July and, hopefully, we'll produce three plays there, while we continue to look for a permanent home and work for the future."

Renick told Playbill On-Line that not having a permanent space makes for a challenging existence. "Everything is a special challenge now," Renick explained. The WPA who had to give up its original space last July.

"This is a completely different way of doing theatre," Renick said. "In the past we've been completely self contained, like a little industry with everything on premises. Now, we work with a whole host of nice contractors, some of whom are with the Signature Theatre."

Renick remains optimistic about the support he is receiving in re-establishing WPA in a permanent home and said he is bringing the necessary people and financing together. "For now," Renick said, "we are rehearsing [Blood on the Dining Room Floor] in different places. The orchestra is practicing in a different place and we are hoping it all comes together at the end of March. It's hard to get used to, because we have never done anything with opera people before, and we are working with a 12-piece orchestra -- and we are spread out all over town. But the spirit is willing and the people are there, and we're still raising money, so it looks like it's going to happen."